Tag Archives: creative play

Dress Up Play for Boys

Posted on by

Dress up boxes for little girls are easy to put together, but what can you do for little boys? Boys like to put on different clothes and have fun pretending too. I thought I’d share some of the things that have been in our costume box. Hats are fun and easy. And sometimes it’s all kids need to start rolling on a pretend game. When my oldest was a toddler, I bought a set of plastic hats that all my kids loved. There was a fireman’s hat, a construction hard hat, a police hat, and a motorcycle helmet. It was … Continue reading →

Making Old Toys New

A few days ago, I wrote about how to give life to old board games. Here are some more ways to stretch the fun out of old toys, while your children are counting the days until they get new ones. Challenge your children to build the tallest tower of Legos or blocks that they can. Can they build one higher than themselves? Can they build one so high that it will touch the ceiling? Take those blocks, spread them on the floor, and try to make the biggest square or rectangle that you can on the floor. Use those same … Continue reading →

Making Old Games New Again

My boys are circling the Christmas tree again, begging, “Can’t we open one present?” They are understandably bored. We’ve been cooped up since Tuesday night, when the latest blizzard hit Colorado. We have a three and four foot snow drift covering our driveway. Even if I wanted to, I’m not sure we could leave the house. Besides, I don’t think anything is open today. Even the postal service isn’t working. Many of the streets are closed, including the highways. The temperatures have been much too cold to send them outside to play. I don’t want to let them open presents … Continue reading →

Let’s Pretend: How Do You Teach Your Toddler to Pretend?

This may sound like an odd topic, but the truth is pretending play is one of the best parts of childhood and children have fertile and amazing imaginations. Many believe that children spontaneously develop their imaginations and while this may be true for many, the truth is—you can help them to build this skill and talent. How do you help them? Here are a few ways that I have seen other parents as well as myself do in order to help them develop their talent for pretend. Obstacle Course Toddlers love to climb. They love to explore. So take a … Continue reading →

The Backyard Explorer

Looking for some fun you can have with your kiddo this summer that won’t cost you much money? So much of our lives are wrapped up in the dollars and sense that we forget once upon a time we could have a good time and not spend a nickel or a dime! Becoming a backyard explorer is a great way to achieve this – you and your kids get to have a good time and you don’t have to spend a lot of dimes, nickels, quarters or dollars! Stop & Smell the Roses What is a backyard explorer? That’s the … Continue reading →

Let’s Talk Dirty

Dirt. It’s the perennial enemy of the parent. We tell our children not to get dirty. We tell them to keep their clothes clean and when they come home wearing red sauce painted in a motif across their pale yellow shirt coupled with dark dirt stains on their pink shorts – we sigh, we smile and we throw them in the wash. The beauty of this – is when our children come home painted from head to toe in sweat and dirt – guess what – they wash too? Give Yourself a Break I don’t know how many times I’ve … Continue reading →

Creative Play & Summer Fun

Getting our kids to play creatively requires more than a little imagination on our parts. Here are a few summer activities that our five year old is doing to keep herself busy, entertained and on the road to learning more about the world around her. Reading & The Zoo The first day of summer vacation, we took her to the Dallas Zoo. Among some of the animals we encounter, there was a female giraffe, born in 1973 who is the oldest living female giraffe in captivity. Instead of reading to her where we were going, we handed her the map … Continue reading →